About

Board and batten, Humbug, 2009

Why we started it: Art and architecture have long been happy bedfellows, but we feel that in our recent past they have drifted apart. For many architects, the increasingly complex technical and regulatory environment has increased build quality in important ways, but it has also diverted energy from creative exploration. For artists, an enthusiasm for site specific and non-representational work has often been developed in relative isolation from architecture schools and their related professional bodies. When these two disciplines meet again in the city, the relationship is often an awkward and naive dance. Sometimes the two meet in beautiful ways, and this is cause for celebration, but it is all too rare that one embraces the other with any real depth. We're interested in restrengthening the connections between art and architecture.

How it works: Humbugaa is a club of artists, architects, and collectors that make, sell, buy, talk, and learn about those connections. It's a platform for dialogue, and we think the best dialogue takes place around the work itself, so Humbugaa is organised around an online gallery and series of events. Both the events and works in the gallery are contributed and organised by our members, but we do select both from member submissions to ensure that events and works in the gallery are relevant to our community. If you have any suggestions for an event, exhibition, or you want to submit some work for sale, please do. Free membership allows you to sell work through the gallery, run events, including exhibitions, and attend all free events. Full membership allows you to buy work through the online gallery or tickets to paid events with zero-commission to Humbugaa.

Beginnings: It began with a series of conversations between artist Peter Adsett and architect Sam Kebbell in 2006. In 2009, they brought art and architecture together in a very tangible way when they collaborated on the design of a house and studio for Peter and his family on the Mornington Peninsula, near Melbourne. Affectionately known as Humbug, it was both the result of, and a catalyst for more dialogue about the connections between art and architecture. Sam and Peter have also explored their ideas through independent research, including their respective PhD research projects. They have exhibited, written, and spoken about their research and practices in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. Since Humbug was built, their conversations expanded to include a small group of interested friends and colleagues. In 2018 they launched Humbugaa (Humbug Art & Architecture) to help grow the community of artists, architects, students and collectors interested in the connections between art and architecture.